Public competition

A public competition is a procedure through which a public institution, organization or company opens the possibility for all interested persons and legal entities to apply for a specific job, public procurement, scholarship, financial support or some kind of public funds or benefits. The main purpose of the public tender is to ensure transparency, fairness and equality of opportunity in the process of selecting candidates or allocating funds.

Contests are subject to various forms of abuse, such as:

Job shopping: When bribes or improper benefits are sought to ensure or favor the award of a job to a particular candidate, rather than based on qualifications and ability.

Pre-arranged outcomes: When the outcome of the competition is pre-agreed in favor of a certain candidate, which puts other candidates in an unfair position and violates the principle of openness and equal opportunities.
Manipulation of competition conditions: When the conditions of a competition are deliberately adjusted to suit a particular candidate or group of candidates, to the exclusion of other qualified and competitive candidates.
Nepotism: When family members, friends or close associates of individuals who are involved in the decision-making process on the allocation of funds or benefits through a public tender are privileged or favored, regardless of their qualifications or abilities.
In order to combat corruption in public tenders, it is crucial to establish and apply clear and transparent procedures.

These include the publication of all relevant information about the competition, clearly defined selection criteria, impartial evaluation committees or panels, and effective mechanisms for reporting and investigating corrupt practices. It is also important to promote awareness of the importance of integrity, ethics and accountability in the public tender process to ensure that all candidates are treated equally and fairly.